FR Doc 05-20367
[Federal Register: October 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 195)]
[Notices]
[Page 59058-59062]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11oc05-42]
Download:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information;
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021A
Dates: Applications Available: October 11, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See the chart listed
under section IV. Application and Submission Information, 3. Submission
Dates and Times (chart). Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See
chart.
Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education, (2)
State departments of education, (3) private nonprofit educational
organizations, and (4) consortia of these entities.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$2,505,408 for this program for FY 2006. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$90,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $69,595.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 36.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA)
Program supports overseas projects in training, research, and
curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for
groups of teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor.
Projects may include short-term seminars, curriculum development, or
group research or study.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these
priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.32)
Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Specific geographic regions of the world: A group project funded
under this priority must focus on one or more of the following
geographic regions of the world: Africa, East Asia, South Asia,
Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western Hemisphere (Central and
South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East Central Europe and
Eurasia, and the Near East.
Within this absolute priority, we are establishing the following
competitive preference and invitational priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i),
664.30(b), and 664.31(g) we award up to an additional five (5) points
to an application, depending on how well the application meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Short-term seminars that develop and improve foreign language and
area
[[Page 59059]]
studies at elementary and secondary schools.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an invitational
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(1) we do not give an application that
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference
over other applications.
This priority is:
Group Study projects that provide opportunities for nationally
recruited undergraduate students to study in a foreign country for
either a semester or a full academic year.
Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in
34 CFR part 664.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants. As part of its FY 2006 budget
request, the Administration proposed to continue to allow funds to be
used to support the participation of individuals who plan to apply
their language skills and knowledge of countries vital to the United
States national security in fields outside teaching, including
government, the professions, or international development. Therefore,
institutions may propose projects for visits and study in foreign
countries by individuals in these fields, in addition to those planning
a teaching career. However, authority to use funds for participants
outside of the field of teaching depends on final Congressional action.
Applicants will be given an opportunity to amend their applications if
such authority is not provided.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$2,505,408 for this program for FY 2006. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$90,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $69,595.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 36.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education, (2)
State departments of education, (3) private nonprofit educational
organizations, and (4) consortia of these entities.
2. Cost sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Dr. Lungching Chiao or
Ms. Michelle Guilfoil, International Education Programs Service, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC
20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7624 or (202) 502-7625 or by e-mail:
lungching.chiao@ed.gov or
michelle.guilfoil@ed.gov
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program. Page
Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address
the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application.
You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 40 pages,
using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may
single space all text in charts, tables, figures and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10-point
font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman, Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances
and certifications; the one-page abstract; or the appendices. However,
you must include your complete response to the selection criteria in
the application narrative.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: October 11, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: In light of the damage
caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita we are establishing two separate
deadlines for the submission of applications for grants under this
competition to permit potential applicants affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and/or Rita additional time to submit their applications. We
are establishing a General Deadline for all applicants, and an Extended
Deadline for potential applicants who have been affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and/or Rita and are located in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama,
Mississippi, and Florida. Specifically, the Extended Deadline applies
only to: (1) institutions of higher education, SEAs, LEAs, non-profit
organizations and other public or private organization applicants that
are located in a federally-declared disaster area as determined by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (see
http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema
) and that were adversely affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and/or Rita, and (2) individual applicants who reside or
resided, on the disaster declaration date, in a federally-declared
disaster area as determined by FEMA (see
http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema
) and were adversely affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/
or Rita. These applicants must provide a certification in their
application that they meet the criteria for submitting an application
on the Extended Deadline, and be prepared to provide appropriate
supporting documentation, if requested. If the applicant is submitting
the application electronically, submission of the application serves as
the applicant's attestation that they meet the criteria for submitting
an application on the Extended Deadline.
The following chart provides the applicable deadlines for the
submission of applications. If this program is
[[Page 59060]]
subject to Executive Order 12372, the relevant deadline for
intergovernmental review is also indicated in the chart.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmittal of Intergovernmental
applications review
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General deadline.................. 11/10/05 1/9/06
Extended deadline................. 12/1/05 2/1/06
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer
to Section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 13, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects
Abroad--CFDA Number 84.021A must be submitted electronically using e-
Application available through the Department's e-Grants system,
accessible through the e-Grants portal page at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this program after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application
process.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications. You must attach any narrative sections
of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or
.PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than
the three file types specified above or submit a password protected
file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
(4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically,
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this
[[Page 59061]]
notice under For Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact)
or (2) the e-Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down
and therefore the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be
sent to all registered users who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability
of the Department's e-Application system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the e-Application system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Department's e-Application system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Dr. Lungching Chiao or
Mrs. Michelle Guilfoil, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street,
NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX: (202) 502-7859.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 84.021A, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: 84.021A, 7100 Old
Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
84.021A, 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and
Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter,
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 664.31 and are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (20
points), (b) quality of key personnel (10 points), (c) budget and cost
effectiveness (10 points), (d) evaluation plan (20 points), (e)
adequacy of resources (5 points), (f) impact (15 points), (g) relevance
to institutional development (5 points), (h) need for overseas
experiences (10 points), and (i) the extent to which the proposed
project addresses the competitive preference priority (5 points).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. Grantees are required to use the electronic data
instrument Evaluation of Exchange, Language, International, and Area
Studies (EELIAS) system to complete the final report.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact: Dr. Lungching Chiao or Ms. Michelle
Guilfoil, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521.
Telephone: (202) 502-7624 or (202) 502-7625 or by e-mail:
lungching.chiao@ed.gov or
michelle.guilfoil@ed.gov
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call
[[Page 59062]]
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
Dated: October 5, 2005.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-20367 Filed 10-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U